


Just Remember When You Come Up

by saekhwa



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: Black Boy Fly, Black Male Character, Gen, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-22
Updated: 2016-04-22
Packaged: 2018-06-03 21:03:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6626203
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saekhwa/pseuds/saekhwa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jax is the youngest member of the team, but he's got a couple of things to teach Stein.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Just Remember When You Come Up

**Author's Note:**

> I finally had time to write the missing scene that I've imagined happens between episodes 1.08 and 1.09, and Jax is my boy. 
> 
> Thanks to Moriavis for her eyes on this.

Being some weird bird monster isn't exactly how Jax thought things would go down, but between that and saving Gray from the Russian prison — Jax knows they're in this for the long haul, and he's not gonna wait anymore. 

The professor's in the medical bay, like Jax knew he'd be, because he figures this is the closest to a lab that Gray's got on the Waverider. Plus, Gray likes to talk to Gideon about his theories and get whatever info he can about the future. So Jax wouldn't normally interrupt, but Gray'll go on for hours. 

So he steps forward and says, "Yo, Gray, we gotta talk."

Gray frowns at him and then turns back to the screen. "What does our esteemed captain want of me this time? Or are we escaping yet another attempt on our lives from our relentless pursuer Chronos?"

Jax shakes his head and laughs, only because, for once, he can say, "Nah, it's all right. Everything's pretty chill for the moment."

Gray's eyes immediately narrow, but it only takes a beat for Jax to realize why and laugh harder. Snart and his cold puns have everyone on edge, especially the professor. _And_ Rip, but that dude is pretty uptight about everything. 

"Look, it's—" Jax stops, because he doesn't want to call this nothing and dismiss it before he's even given himself the chance. "I wanna talk to you about Firestorm."

Not only does Gray's whole face light up like he's been waiting for Jax to say that, but Jax can feel it through their connection, this sudden burst of warmth that makes his own shoulders rise. Jax holds up his hands, though, before Gray starts in on the beginning of what might be a two-hour discussion but could easily suck up all their downtime on nuclear physics and fusion and recombo-something DNA. 

"No, I meant the whole"—Jax clasps his hands—"holding hands. Thing."

Gray frowns. "We do a great deal more than 'hold hands,' Jefferson."

"And I get it. I do. I just think there's a better way we can do it."

There's about a two-second silence, where Jax can feel his shoulders hunch forward, because he's prepared to deal with the professor shooting him down again, having to defend himself _again_ , but then Gray arches an eyebrow. It means he's willing to listen. He's open to the idea. 

So Jax steps forward. "I know you and Ronnie had your way, and I respect that, but you and me? We should have our own way. And it's called the dap."

Gray frowns again as he stares at Jax's outstretched hand. "The 'dap.'" 

Jax laughs, shaking his head, because these old white dudes'll talk quantum this and atomic that but throw a little slang their way…

"Like this," he says, and takes Gray's hand, holding it up. He slaps his hand to Gray's, palm to palm. "Or—" He curls Gray's hand into a fist and then daps his fist to Gray's. 

"I don't see how—"

"Nah, Professor. Look." Jax daps Gray again and then opens up Gray's hand, so he can show Gray another way they can dap. He hooks his thumb with Gray's and curls their fingers around each other, even draws Gray in like he's one of his boys on the field and pats him on the back. Gray looks confused as hell when Jax draws away. "We share a mind, so I'm a need you to get on this. On who _I_ am and what I bring to this team. Not just to everyone else but us, too."

Gray's still frowning, but Jax smiles, because he recognizes it as Gray's frown of concentration, the one where he's really setting his mind to something. Jax can practically hear Gray's brain firing away. 

"You're right." Gray tightens his fingers around Jax's and then looks him square in the eyes, all serious. "I'm sorry I haven't made more of an effort."

"So here's your chance." Jax offers up a smile. "To do better."

Gray nods. "Of course. I will." He nods again and stares down at their hands. "So which would you prefer?" He moves slowly through the different daps that Jax showed him, and Jax manages not to laugh. He doesn't wanna discourage Gray, but it's kinda funny watching Gray's face shift and scrunch in different ways while he moves his fingers. 

Once Gray's run through each dap once, Jax says, "We'll feel it out. Depends on what kind of situation we're in."

"Most likely dire."

Jax shrugs. "Wouldn't be heroes if this was easy. So let's stick with this." Jax moves Gray's hand, so his palm's facing the wall and his fingers are outstretched. Then he slaps his hand to Gray's, palm to palm, even gets the thrill from the smack of their skin, like they accomplished something amazing. "This'll be the easiest for when we gotta turn into Firestorm on the quick."

Gray nods his agreement but when he tries it, all he's doing is patting Jax's hand. He tries again, though, with a little more intent this time. It's not spot on, but it's close enough that Jax nods.

"Yeah, just like that. Try again." The next one is a little weak, but at least Gray's trying. "You gettin' the hang of it. There we go."

Gray tries the next dap, hooking his thumb with Jax's, but all he does is hold Jax's hand, squeezing Jax's fingers. "Thank you for…" Gray gestures with his free hand. "I should have asked you rather than—"

When he stops, Jax fills in the missing words. "Kidnap me. And yeah, you should've." But they cleared the air about this after the Russian prison, so Jax lowers his hand to get the next thing off his chest. "Look if—" He stops, because this has been the hardest thing he's had to think about since he woke up on the ship. It's hard thinking about it every time they go into danger, and since the whole mission is chasing an immortal megalomaniac while dodging a bounty hunter, that means they're in danger all the time. So Jax takes a breath, squares his shoulders, and looks at Gray. "If something happens to me, my mom—"

Gray grabs Jax's shoulders and squeezes hard. " _Nothing_ is going to happen to you. I swear it on my life. Your mother will not lose her son."

Jax reaches up to cover one of Gray's hand, because what Gray's saying is nice. It's just not realistic.

"But _if_ "—Jax feels Gray's desperation in that "if" and feels the hope, too, that it will be an if—"something does happen to you, I will tell your mother you were a hero. You were a legend. I will tell her that you loved her dearly." Gray squeezes Jax's shoulders again. "I'll take care of her, Jefferson. On that, you have my word."

That kind of promise takes Jax off guard, but Gray's hands are so tight on his shoulders that he's rooted to the spot. So he nods and then nods again. Then he reaches out to press his fist to Gray's shoulder and grins. 

"That's all I needed. We cool now." Gray relaxes, but it takes him a minute to loosen his grip. Before he does, Jax says, "And I got you, too." At Gray's look of confusion, Jax pats both of Gray's hands still on his shoulders. "Your wife. Clarissa. I'll let her know what you did. I'm just a mechanic, but I'll take care of her as best I can."

Jax's throat tightens, his chest, his whole body, because that's how sharply Gray's feeling his promise right now. Makes it kinda hard to breathe, but they both manage with a couple of slow breaths. 

Gray's voice is still hoarse when he says, "Thank you, Jefferson." He nods. "Thank you very much." He pats Jax's shoulders, squeezes them one last time, and then draws away. 

They stand there for a few seconds, but Jax doesn't want to leave them both hanging with these sad feelings. "So." He grins and holds out his hand. "Let's practice this dap 'cause we gotta get the angle right if a fight pops off."


End file.
